FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- The National Football League released the 2008 regular season schedule Tuesday. The Falcons will battle NFC South Division foes Tampa Bay, New Orleans and Carolina twice this season while facing the NFC North Division in conference cross-division play. Atlanta will also match-up with the AFC West Division, host the St. Louis Rams in the season finale, and travel to Philadelphia to meet the Eagles in Week 8.
“It’s always an exciting day when the schedule comes out,” Falcons Head Coach Mike Smith said. “It’s exciting because you find out exactly when, where and who you play in the regular season. Our job is to prepare our team as well as we can to go out and play Falcons football whenever we take the field and that’s what we are going to do.”
- DOWNLOADS: Printable Schedule Dark | Light (PDF)
- TICKETS: Falcons Season Ticket Information
- BLOG: J. Mike's thoughts on road opponents
- NFL.COM: Complete 2008 NFL Schedule
Atlanta will open the 2008 campaign at home for the first time since 2005 when the Detroit Lions visit the Georgia Dome on Sept. 7, 2008 at 1 p.m. The Falcons will then start their division schedule with a road game at Tampa Bay the following week (Sept. 14). Atlanta will return home in Week 3 (Sept. 21) to battle the Kansas City Chiefs, marking the first meeting between the two teams since 2000 and only the second game played in Atlanta in series history.
The Falcons will hit the road in Week 4 (Sept. 28) for their second NFC South contest of the season against the Carolina Panthers. Atlanta leads the all-time series against the Panthers, 16-10, as both teams have split the season series over the last two years. The Falcons will travel to historic Lambeau Field on Oct. 5 as the team looks for their first victory over the Packers since the 2002 NFC Wild Card playoff game. In that meeting, Atlanta became the first team to ever defeat Green Bay in postseason play at Lambeau Field.
On Oct. 12, the Falcons will return home to host the Chicago Bears before heading into their bye week (Week 9). The Bears lead the series by only two games (12-10) as Chicago returns to the Georgia Dome for the first time since 2002.
Atlanta will face two road games after the bye week, starting at Philadelphia on Oct. 26. The Oakland Raiders will follow on November 2 in a Week 9 match-up. The Falcons will look for its first victory over the Eagles since the 2005 season-opening win at the Georgia Dome on "Monday Night Football." Atlanta also makes its first trip to Oakland for the first time since the 2000 season.
The Falcons will see a three-game home stand as the New Orleans Saints visit the Georgia Dome for the first home division game on Nov. 9. The Denver Broncos will follow on Nov. 16 and the Panthers will finish out the season series on Nov. 23. The Falcons claimed a victory in their last meeting against the Broncos at the Georgia Dome, 41-28, in 2004.
In Weeks 13 and 14, Atlanta will make road trips to San Diego (November 30) and New Orleans (December 7). The Falcons lead the Chargers 6-1 in the all-time series and have won the last four games, including the last two in San Diego (1991, 1997).
In the final three weeks of the season, Tampa Bay will travel to Atlanta for the final NFC South contest of the season on Dec.14. The Falcons will make their last road trip of the year at Minnesota on Dec. 21 and will close out the season at home against the St. Louis Rams on Dec. 28. Atlanta will make its second trip to Minnesota in the last two seasons. Prior to last year’s loss to the Vikings, the Falcons won the previous two meetings at the Metrodome, both in overtime contests. One of those victories included the 1998 NFC Championship Game, which earned the franchise its first Super Bowl berth. Atlanta has also won the last two games against the Rams at the Georgia Dome, including a 2005 NFC Divisional Playoff game, 47-17.
Atlanta’s preseason schedule, which was announced on April 3, features road contests at Jacksonville (Aug. 9) and Baltimore (Aug. 28) while the Indianapolis Colts (Aug.16) and Tennessee Titans (Aug. 22) visit the Georgia Dome in the second and third weeks. Because of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China, all four preseason contests will be shown on WATL rather than NBC affiliate, WXIA.
Atlanta Falcons 2008 Preseason Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Time | Network |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, August 9 | at Jacksonville | 7:30 p.m. | WATL |
| Saturday, August 16 | INDIANAPOLIS | 7:30 p.m. | WATL |
| Friday, August 22 | TENNESSEE | 7:30 p.m. | WATL |
| Thursday, August 28 | at Baltimore | 7:30 p.m. | WATL |
Atlanta Falcons 2008 Regular Season Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Time | Network |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday, September 7 | DETROIT | 1:00 p.m. | FOX |
| Sunday, September 14 | at Tampa Bay | 4:05 p.m. | FOX |
| Sunday, September 21 | KANSAS CITY | 1:00 p.m. | CBS |
| Sunday, September 28 | at Carolina | 1:00 p.m. | FOX |
| Sunday, October 5 | at Green Bay | 1:00 p.m. | FOX |
| Sunday, October 12 | CHICAGO | 1:00 p.m. | FOX |
| BYE WEEK | |||
| Sunday, October 26 | at Philadelphia | 1:00 p.m. | FOX |
| Sunday, November 2 | at Oakland | 4:15 p.m. | FOX |
| Sunday, November 9 | NEW ORLEANS | 1:00 p.m. | FOX |
| Sunday, November 16 | DENVER | 1:00 p.m. | CBS |
| Sunday, November 23 | CAROLINA | 1:00 p.m. | FOX * |
| Sunday, November 30 | at San Diego | 4:05 p.m. | FOX * |
| Sunday, December 7 | at New Orleans | 1:00 p.m. | FOX * |
| Sunday, December 14 | TAMPA BAY | 1:00 p.m. | FOX * |
| Sunday, December 21 | at Minnesota | 1:00 p.m. | FOX * |
| Sunday, December 28 | ST. LOUIS | 1:00 p.m. | FOX * |
Home games in bold caps; all kickoffs are Eastern.
*Denotes Flexible Scheduling
